Near

The light cast by the winter sun on a glass table, a glass bowl filled with limes upon a colorful striped tablecloth, or a vase of random flowers picked from my garden are examples of the simple beauty that is all around us. Visits to locations close to home in Chicago bring unexpected discoveries and an appreciation for the preservation and conservation of greenspace and urban open space. These are places that help to balance and enrich us. Painting in the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the Chicago Botanic Garden provides endless opportunities to observe the complexity of nature as a life source and experience the connection between art and nature.